Purification of silicon-containing materials

Abstract

Systems and methods of purifying a silicon-containing material include the step of directing the silicon-containing material in a liquid state through an adsorption unit including an adsorbent material to facilitate adsorption of at least one component from the silicon-containing material. Alternatively, the silicon-containing material is directed, in liquid state and/or gaseous state, through two or more purification units, including an adsorption unit, a vaporization unit, a filter unit and a condenser. The silicon-containing material can be a low-k silicon-containing material such as trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, dimethylphenyl silane, and dimethyldivinyl silane.

1 . A method of purifying a silicon-containing material comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material in a liquid state through an adsorption unit including an adsorbent material to facilitate adsorption of at least one component from the silicon-containing material.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the silicon-containing material is a low-k material comprising at least one of trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, dimethylphenyl silane, and dimethyldivinyl silane.  
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material stream emerging from the adsorption unit through a filter unit to facilitate removal of particulate materials from the silicon-containing material stream.    
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3 , further comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material stream emerging from the adsorption unit through a vaporization unit to facilitate at least partial vaporization of the silicon-containing material stream to form a silicon-containing material vapor stream.    
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein a portion of the silicon-containing material stream remains in a liquid state within the vaporization unit and is separated from the silicon-containing material vapor stream.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising: 
 selectively removing the portion of the silicon-containing material stream that remains in a liquid state from the vaporization unit via a drain line connected with the vaporization unit.    
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material vapor stream to a condenser to facilitate condensation of the vapor stream to form a silicon-containing material product stream.    
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material vapor stream through a chamber disposed between the vaporization unit and the condenser, the chamber including packed materials disposed therein; and    directing a portion of the silicon-containing material product stream to the chamber to facilitate a countercurrent flow and contact within the chamber and between the silicon-containing material product stream and the silicon-containing material vapor stream.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising: 
 providing a by-pass line to selectively divert the silicon-containing material stream emerging from the adsorption unit to a location downstream from the vaporization unit and the condenser during system operation.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material that has been processed within the adsorption unit to a semiconductor manufacturing process.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the adsorbent material comprises a carbonaceous material formed by pyrolysis of a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene macroreticular ion exchange resin.  
   
   
       12 . A method of purifying a silicon-containing material comprising: 
 directing the silicon-containing material through at least two of the following: an adsorption unit including an adsorbent material to facilitate adsorption of at least one component from the silicon-containing material, a filter unit to remove particulate material from the silicon-containing material, a vaporization unit to facilitate at least partial vaporization of the silicon-containing material stream to form a silicon-containing material vapor stream, and a condenser to condense the silicon-containing material from a vapor state to a liquid state.    
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the directing step includes: 
 directing the silicon-containing material to the vaporization unit; and    directing a silicon-containing material stream emerging from the vaporization unit to the adsorption unit.    
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the adsorbent material of the adsorption unit comprises a carbonaceous material formed by pyrolysis of a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene macroreticular ion exchange resin.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the directing step further includes: 
 directing the silicon-containing material emerging from the adsorption unit to the filter unit.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15 , wherein the silicon-containing material emerges from the vaporization unit as a vapor stream and is maintained as a vapor stream as the stream is directed through the adsorption unit and the filter unit.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the directing step further includes: 
 directing the silicon-containing material vapor stream to the condenser.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17 , further comprising: 
 selectively diverting the flow of the silicon-containing material vapor stream emerging from the vaporization unit directly to the condenser so as to by-pass the adsorption unit and the filter unit.    
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the silicon-containing material is supplied to the directing step in a liquid state.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the directing step includes: 
 directing the liquid silicon-containing material to the adsorption unit; and    directing the liquid silicon-containing material emerging from the adsorption unit to the vaporization unit.    
   
   
       21 . The method of  claim 12 , wherein the silicon-containing material is a low-k material comprising at least one of trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, dimethylphenyl silane, and dimethyldivinyl silane.  
   
   
       22 . The method of  claim 12 , further comprising: 
 providing the silicon-containing material that has been processed in the directing step to a semiconductor manufacturing process.    
   
   
       23 . A system for purifying a silicon-containing material comprising: 
 a supply source for supplying silicon-containing material in a liquid state; and    at least one purification unit in fluid communication with the supply source to receive the silicon-containing material in the liquid state, the at least one purification unit comprising at least one of an adsorption unit including an adsorbent material to facilitate adsorption of at least one component from the silicon-containing material, and a vaporization unit to facilitate at least partial vaporization of the silicon-containing material stream to form a silicon-containing material vapor stream.    
   
   
       24 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one purification unit includes the adsorption unit and the vaporization unit disposed at a downstream location from the adsorption unit, and the system further comprises: 
 a filter unit disposed downstream from the adsorption unit and upstream from the vaporization unit to facilitate removal of particulate material from the silicon-containing material in the liquid state.    
   
   
       25 . The system of  claim 24 , wherein the adsorbent material of the adsorption unit comprises a carbonaceous material formed by pyrolysis of a sulfonated styrene-divinylbenzene macroreticular ion exchange resin.  
   
   
       26 . The system of  claim 24 , further comprising: 
 a condenser disposed downstream from the vaporization unit to receive a silicon-containing material vapor stream from the vaporization unit and condense at least a portion of the vapor stream to form a silicon-containing liquid product.    
   
   
       27 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a flow chamber disposed downstream from the adsorption unit and upstream from the condenser to facilitate flow of the vapor stream from the adsorption unit to the condenser via the flow chamber; and    a return line connected between an outlet of the condenser and the flow chamber, the return line being configured to selectively deliver at least a portion of the silicon-containing liquid product to the flow chamber in a countercurrent flow direction with respect to the vapor stream.    
   
   
       28 . The system of  claim 27 , wherein the flow chamber includes packing material disposed within the flow chamber.  
   
   
       29 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a by-pass line in fluid communication with an outlet of the adsorption unit and configured to facilitate selective diversion of the silicon-containing material in the liquid state to a location disposed downstream from the condenser so as to by-pass the vaporization unit and the condenser during system operation.    
   
   
       30 . The system of  claim 26 , further comprising: 
 a by-pass line disposed downstream from the supply source and configured to facilitate selective diversion of the silicon containing material from the supply source directly to the vaporization unit so as to by-pass the adsorption unit and the filter unit during system operation.    
   
   
       31 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the at least one purification unit includes the vaporization unit and the adsorption unit disposed at a downstream location from the vaporization unit, and the system further comprises: 
 a filter unit disposed downstream from the adsorption unit to facilitate removal of particulate material from the silicon-containing material in the liquid state.    
   
   
       32 . The system of  claim 31 , wherein the vaporization unit, adsorption unit and filter unit are disposed within an insulation section to maintain a silicon-containing material vapor stream flowing from the vaporization unit and through the adsorption unit and filter unit, the system further comprising: 
 a condenser disposed downstream from the filter unit to receive the silicon-containing material vapor stream and condense at least a portion of the vapor stream to form a silicon-containing liquid product.    
   
   
       33 . The system of  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 a by-pass line disposed downstream from the vaporization unit and configured to selectively divert the silicon-containing material vapor stream from an outlet of the vaporization unit directly to the condenser so as to by-pass the adsorption unit and the filter unit.    
   
   
       34 . The system of  claim 32 , further comprising: 
 a return line connected between an outlet of the condenser and the vaporization unit, the return line being configured to selectively deliver at least a portion of the silicon-containing liquid product to the vaporization unit during system operation.    
   
   
       35 . The system of  claim 23 , wherein the supply source delivers a low-k silicon-containing material comprising at least one of trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, dimethylphenyl silane, and dimethyldivinyl silane.  
   
   
       36 . A system for purifying a silicon-containing material comprising: 
 a supply source for supplying silicon-containing material in a liquid state; and    a means for purifying the silicon-containing material in a liquid state by adsorption of at least one component from the silicon-containing material.    
   
   
       37 . The system of  claim 36 , wherein the supply source delivers a low-k silicon-containing material comprising at least one of trimethylsilane, tetramethylsilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, tetramethylcyclotetrasiloxane, octamethylcyclotetrasiloxane, dimethylphenyl silane, and dimethyldivinyl silane.